Alimentary epigenetics: A developmental psychobiological systems view of the perception of hunger, thirst and satiety☆

Abstract

Hunger, thirst and satiety have an enormous influence on cognition, behavior and development, yet we often take for granted that they are simply inborn or innate. Converging data and theory from both comparative and human domains, however, supports the conclusion that the phenomena hunger, thirst and satiety are not innate but rather emerge probabilistically as a function of experience during individual development. The metatheoretical perspective provided by developmental psychobiological systems theory provides a useful framework for organizing and synthesizing findings related to the development of the perception of hunger, thirst and satiety, or alimentary interoception. It is argued that neither developmental psychology nor the psychology of eating and drinking have adequately dealt with the ontogeny of alimentary interoception and that a more serious consideration of the species-typical developmental system of food and fluid intake and the many modifications that have been made therein is likely necessary for a full understanding of both alimentary and emotional development.

Individual differences in the interoceptive states of hunger, fullness and thirst

“…A number of authors have suggested that there are important developmental influences on interoceptive ability (Harshaw, 2008;Hebb, 1949). Particular attention has been given to the impact of child feeding practices on hunger and fullness.…”

Proteomics in chromatin biology and epigenetics: Elucidation of post-translational modifications of histone proteins by mass spectrometry

“…Epigenetic mechanisms may serve as a memory for cell fate decisions, as specific information is 'imprinted' in the chromatin structure, including factors that modify DNA and/or its associated protein factors. This additional level of regulation of the genetic material in cells, originally described by Waddington in 1942 [2], is currently reshaping the way in which researchers think about propagation and inheritance, cell development and differentiation, and disease etiology [3][4][5].…”

Eliciting Clear-Cut Initial-Hunger at Proper Time

“…Thus, compared to controls -who did not report equivalents of hunger (n = 30) -a significantly higher proportion of the 46 not-hungry trained subject (p = 0.001) was able to report sensations other than gastric hunger, which were useful in estimating their glycemic levels, and this ability prevailed below 87 mg/dL. In their reports, these 15 subjects described physical (3 subjects) or mental [10] weakness or abdominal changes in tension or movement [2]. Another 6 of the 46 not-hungry trained subjects, but none of the control subjects, had felt gastric hunger before entering the hospital for the final session; however the sensation faded while waiting for the laboratory session.…”

“…In the Western countries, children are accustomed to scheduled meals, and adults actually eat at scheduled mealtimes. Hunger has been reviewed recently [10]. The sensation is not merely mental, but coincides with a complex physiological function that may rise approaching the table or solicited from good food.…”